Batting

Freshman Laura Messina retired the final 16 batters in the second game of a doubleheader vs. Mount St. Mary's on Sunday, giving the Blue Devils a split with the Mountaineers in New Britain. Central dropped the first game 3-1 in eight innings. Behind a two-hitter in the second game, The Blue Devils won 9-2.

With the split the Blue Devils are now 19-11 overall and 1-3 in Northeast Conference play.

The Blue Devils struck first in game one on an RBI single off the bat of junior Macy Stefanski in the bottom of the second inning.

The Mount tied the game in the fourth inning. With one out Catherine Clifford hit a solo home run to center field, making it 1-1.

The game went in extra innings, and the Mount took a 3-1 lead with their second home run of the game in the top of the eighth. Maria Santiago singled with one out and then Lizz Christiansen homered to center field to break the tie.

Messina took the loss for Central in game one, falling to 12-5 on the season. She struck out 11 Mount St. Mary's batters in her eight innings and did not walk a batter. The Mount had seven hits.

In game two, a three-run first inning gave Central the early lead. The Blue Devils used five hits in the first inning, including an RBI single from junior Stephanie Chotkevys and a two-RBI single from freshman Alyssa McCoart to build the early edge.

The Mount scored two unearned runs in the top of the second, before the Blue Devils scored on in the bottom of the inning to make it 4-2. A sacrifice fly from senior Rebecca Mussatti scored the run for Central in the second.

McCoart drove in her third run of the game with a one-out single to left field in the third, making it 5-2.

Senior Nicole Springer's three-run double in the sixth inning made it 8-2. Chotkevys singled for her third hit of the game, and second RBI, to score Springer and make it 9-2.

Messina allowed just two hits in game two, picking up her 13th victory of the season. After allowing an RBI single in the second inning she retired the final 16 batters she faced to earn the win. The last four came via the strikeout.

The Blue Devils return to action on Friday on the road at Bryant University in a Northeast Conference doubleheader.